2018 B.R.A.G. Medallion HonoreeKALEIDOSCOPE IS MIKE LEWIS’S GIFT AND CURSE and it is the first fast-paced, captivating novel in the Vision Chronicles series by award-winning author Chariss K. Walker. 44-year-old geophysicist, Michael Lewis feels his life is boring and mundane, with one exception: He can see horrifying visions of disturbing future disasters through a kaleidoscope in broken, … kaleidoscope in broken, fragmented pieces.
After spending fifteen years denying his gift of visions, he can no longer cope with keeping this secret. He feels it has ruined his life and kept him from finding true happiness. While home after his latest assignment, he decides to confide in Nelson, a psychiatrist friend, about his terrifying visions. Nelson recommends that Mike keep a journal and observe the visions instead of being part of them which allows the pair to explore the visions in a controlled setting.
This experiment allows previously damaged pathways to mend, and once they do, Mike inadvertently discovers that someone has bugged his home and has apparently been watching him for many years. Then, all hell breaks loose as someone attempts to abduct Mike. Not knowing what else to do, Mike decides it’s time to fight back.
“A cliffhanger from the start, this book is a great beginning to a suspenseful series” – Benedict Stuart, Author of The Proximity of Stars
The Vision Chronicles nine-book thriller series is a saga, a slice-of-life metaphysical/visionary story that details Mike’s changing ability as he protects himself, his family, and his friends from those who doggedly pursue him. Read the series in order beginning with Kaleidoscope and if you’d like to get the series in one download, check this out – The Vision Chronicles Complete, Books 1-9, ASIN: B07G9LFXMQ.
If you love mind-boggling suspense with a dash of paranormal and a touch of romance, this is the thriller series for you.
more
A Suspenseful Cliff-Hanger that Sets a High Bar for the Series
Kaleidoscope is Book 1 of The Vision Chronicles, an eight-book, paranormal suspense series with a ninth novella offered as a prequel. The set, which according to the author should be read in order, follows the life of Mike Lewis as he develops his gift—the ability to see the future—in order to protect himself, his family, and his friends from powerful enemies.
Written in first person, book 1 gives us insight into the mind of Mike Lewis. Paralyzed by a fear of being confined in a laboratory that studies paranormal abilities, he has held everyone at arm’s length—friends, family, potential love interests. But as we join him, things are about to change. He can’t continue this way and decides to contact his old, college friend, Nelson, who is now a psychiatrist. About the same time, he meets a beautiful, wealthy New York socialite, Cassandra (Casey) D’Angelo. And from that point forward, everything goes sideways, as it becomes clear someone is after him. The list of potential suspects is short, but then, the book is suspense, not mystery. And the questions abound! Who is pulling the strings behind these attacks? Why can’t Mike remember this gift when others do? What happened to him fifteen years ago when a co-worker tapped him on the head and these kaleidoscopic visions of the future started? The author builds this uncertainty masterfully. The first-person perspective is also the perfect place to second guess Mike’s surmises … something I found myself doing all the time, sometimes correctly, other times not. Kudos to the author for making me care. I also appreciated her invention of a technique to study Mike’s visions, basing it roughly on methods used to study lucid dreaming. (Yeah, my reaction is a bit esoteric, but I found the notion clever.)
As usual, I had a few nitpicks. One is the fact that the plot ends with a cliff-hanger, something I usually don’t like. But admittedly, that fact is revealed in the book’s description, so I went in with my eyes open and it was worth it. There were also a few things that didn’t totally add up in my mind. For example, another of Mike’s college friends, Joe, is now an FBI agent. When he first learned of the attempts on Mike, his reaction was “… for whatever reason someone is very interested in you.” And yet later, when Mike comes clean, Joe admits knowing Mike’s secret. He had even been contacted by a group that wanted him to spy on Mike back in college. Why did he seem so clueless just a few pages earlier? But while there were, in my view, a few minor plot inconsistencies like this one, the suspense was undeniable and the character development was excellent, especially that of our protagonist.
Overall, Kaleidoscope is a suspenseful, well-crafted first of the series that’s well worth the read.
Great book!
Intriguing plot, very well written and you’re hooked from the beginning. The characters are diverse and introduced at a leisurely pace so you aren’t confused with who is who.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last, not only because I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but also because of the very clever cliff hanger! I look forward to reading the next installment, Spyglass!
This is book one of nine so prepare to have your reading list full for a little while!
Buckle up and hang on for a thrilling suspense filled adventure!
I enjoyed this paranormal thriller about a man whose live and friends are threatened because he has precognitive powers that allow him to catch glimpses of the future. It’s full of twists and turns and plenty of action although it is book one of a series so it does leave you on a bit of a cliff-hanger.
Still, a rewarding read.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. I have listened to this authors series Becky Tibbs a Medium’s Mystery Series and enjoyed all three books so thought I would give her other series ago (The Vision Chronicles). Although very different from the Medium series, this book is more grown up and more focussed on character development, I still enjoyed it. The story did seem to have a very sudden ending but I think that is because it is set to continue in the next book, which I am looking forward to. I liked the way the story developed and you had the mystery of who the main character should be trusting. The sy-fi element to the story was interesting and slowly drags you into the story so before you know it you are hooked and staying up well last your bedtime, just to find out what is going to happen. I wouldn’t say it is action packed but Mike has to learn to fight as well as relearn what Kaleidoscope could mean for him.
Mike can’t close his eyes unless he wants to see natural disasters play out in front of his eyes and for years he has been trying to hide from it with drink or exhaustion. But fed up with his meaningless life were he can’t get close to anyone for fear of them finding out his secret he turns to a friend who is a psychologist, rather than get him committed his friend encourages him to keep a journal of the event. By doing so Mike sets in motion something that will change his life for ever. People are watching him and have been for years, waiting for just this moment, the moment he wakes up and starts to use his powers to tell the future. Will having the ability to see the future help him decide who he should trust? because his life has just got a whole dangerous.
I liked the narrator and thought his laid back style helped to drag you into the story.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This is one of those novels that will have you shaking your head wondering what in the world will happen next!
It is bad enough that Mike Lewis has always had second sight–although he was not aware of it–but when he met a man on a job site site who poked him in the middle of the forehead–things got even stranger. He began to see future events when he closed his eyes–but the scenes were fractured–like a kaleidoscope.
He has been hiding this from his friends until he could not take it anymore. That’s when things really take off!
Beware the ending is a cliff hanger which I could not ignore! I ended up purchasing the 7 remaining titles in this series!!
These were not written as stand alone–far from it!! Once you read this you are definitely going to want to buy the others!
Kaleidoscope is the story of 44-year old geophysicist, Michael Lewis, who has been affected by paranormal visions of the future. But all of them are forthcoming disasters and appear to him in form of a broken kaleidoscope. But prior to the onset of these visions, all of his friends had observed him seemingly as having more than his share of luck.
But these two different phases of his life are connected – and not for the better. It turns out that a mysterious group of people, some of them childhood friends, have been following him for most of his life, because of his ability.
Read the story to find out who these people are, why they are keeping tabs on him, and learn about the visions that appear to him in the form of a kaleidoscope.
One of the few Indie books I’ve started and could not stop, until the final page. This one hooked me and would not let go. Written in the first person by a female, demonstrating a rare ability to convey, with amazing clarity and credibility, the thrilling story of a male character whose extraordinary ability torments him and nearly leads to his death. I would recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading the sequel.
Action Packed Thrill Ride You Won’t Want to End
Michael, a geophysicist, thinks he has a boring, mundane life, with one exception: He can see a horrific, random future event, until it comes true, but they are scattered images, similar to what you would see through a kaleidoscope. He has fought this “ability” for over 17 years, but once he is ready to accept it, he realizes that he has been constantly monitored for evidence of his ability since he was a child. He realizes that he is being followed and that his life may be in danger. Action packed craziness ensues as two of his five best college friends, a psychiatrist and an FBI agent, get drawn into his drama.
Kaleidoscope is well written with an action packed plot and great characters I immediately enjoyed. Warning: This is book 1 of the series, The Vision Chronicles, and ends with a huge cliffhanger. I already bought and can’t wait to read book 2, Spyglass (all 8 books in the series are available now). I was introduced to this book by an email from Voracious Readers Only. Thank you, Chariss, for an amazing start to what I expect to be a fantastic series!!! 🙂